A very AxeHead Christmas: DJ's Surprise!
by DJ Paynter
Summary: As the holidays approach, DJ gets an idea for a super secret surprise for someone very special!


**A very Axe-Head Christmas: DJ's surprise!**

"Dang it, I can't take it anymore, what're they saying in there Pingu?" Niri, Kirsty, and the loveable penguin pimp sat outside the door to the inner cabin. Inside, DJ and Axe were apparently talking about something very important that no one else was to know about. Pingu put a flipper to his beak as a motion that they should quiet down and put his head to the door again.

"Please Axe? It's just for one night."

"I said no, why should I give you special treatment? I just don't think it's worth all the work…"

"Please? I'll do anything you want…" DJ's voice pleaded through the door.

"What the HELL are they talking about in there?" The gears started turning in Kirsty's head, trying to unravel the mystery.

"Better not be what I think it is…" Niri muttered, putting her ear to the door as well.

"I just need everyone else out of the way, just for tonight… it's a really special night and I want everything to go perfectly." DJ's voice came through the wood again. "I'll give you my whole allowance for as long as you want."

Niri's eyes turned to beli signs as she heard the offer, suddenly much more interested in this conversation.

"You should know better than to try that crap with me, I give you your allowance in the first place, I can't be bribed…"

"But I can!" Niri burst into the room before Axe could even finished his sentence. "Tell me what you want done DJ-kun and you can consider it done as soon as I have the money in my hands of course."

"Niri!" Axe and Kirsty both sweatdropped, the latter still on her hands and knees from listening at the now open door.

"Really? Thanks Niri-chan!" DJ sped off in a flash, quickly returning with a full sack of money that he had been hoarding in his room practically since he joined the crew. "I just need everyone to stay in their rooms tonight, I have a special surprise for Dusty-chan tonight."

Axe and Kirsty exchanged disgusted looks as thoughts of the possibilities which scared the hell out of them ran through their brains. Niri was otherwise occupied, hugging the sack of loot like it was a big teddy bear. "I could care less what you're planning, as long as I get my money! Mwahahaha" She swung the bag back and forth in her arms.

DJ eyed his crewmates' looks, sighing and shaking his head. "Oh grow up you guys, it's nothing like that…" The speedy swordsman walked out the doorway, his eyes catching Pingu on his way out. "On second thought…" He bent down to the penguin. "Niri, I'm gonna need to borrow Pingu-kun tonight too."

"I like money, I like money, it makes me a happy Niri, I like money…" The sharpshooter kept swinging the bag in her arms, not even hearing DJ's question.

All four of the pirates sweatdropped. "Guess that's a yes…" He turned back to Pingu for a moment. "Do you think you can be super-adorable and deliver a message for me?"

The penguin gave him a sarcastic look.

"Right…" DJ scratched the back of his head absentmindedly. "Forgot who I was talking to for a moment there… If you can do this for me, I'll give you all the fish you can eat for a month." He smirked at the delighted look from the penguin.

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The sun was hanging low in the sky as the musician kept making preparations for that evening. His eyes were drawn to Devon, who was leaning over the side of the ship screaming at someone or something. "Look, I already told you, we didn't order any kind of rental! Especially not for that thing!"

"Oh come now, I'm sure this is the right ship, I was given very specific instructions, this is a very special case, Den Den Mushi Mail Order Sercives does not ussually deliver out to seas, especially with such a large product." The voice from over the ship came out.

DJ blinked and rushed over to the side of the _Tomahawk_, looking down and seeing a strange man in a suit on a raft, accompanied by a large wooden crate. "Uh, Dev, I'll handle this, I think Niri-chan wanted to see you." He pointed back to the cabins.

The demon swordsman sighed in frustration. "Fine, this guy's crazy, maybe you speak the same language." He grumbled before walking towards the back of the ship.

DJ grinned and waved him off, looking back down to the salesman. "Alright, bring it up. I trust my payment got to you guys safely?"

"Of course sir!" The salesman began using a pulley system to get the large crate onto the Tomahawk's deck. "With Den Den Mushi Mail Order Services, you get your product with just one call! Now, if this paperwork is correct, this is just a one night rental?" The man climbed onto the deck once the crate was aboard and held out a clipboard full of paperwork.

"That's right, I can't afford to actually buy something this big, especially not with what I'm paying Niri-chan for bodyguard duty tonight." DJ nodded as he signed the clipboard.

"Got something special planned tonight? A lady friend perhaps?" The salesman nudged the musician with his elbow.

"None of your business, the package is here, I'll have it ready to be picked up in the morning, now if you'll excused me, I can't let anyone see you here, now goodbye." He shoved the clipboard back to the man and practically kicked him back onto his raft, letting the currents take him away again.

The musician gave a sigh of relief as he began to hide the large crate until the proper time. "Can't let anybody spoil the surprise…"

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Dusty walked the empty halls of the inner parts of _the Tomahawk_ and looked around, finding it odd that everything was so quiet. "Geez, wonder where everyone went, you take one five hour nap in Axe's hammock and everyone disappears on ya." She scratched her head, looking in random rooms and finding them empty or locked. "Where they hell is everybody?"

Her question was left hanging in the air until an odd sound of wet flippers hitting the wood floors broke her from her thoughts. Pingu walked up to her, his eyes widened to give them an extra-shiny and small look, making him look absolutely adorable. He held out his flippers to reveal an envelope with a heart on the back.

The fox girl stared at the envelope for a second before picking it up and looking to the heart. "Three guesses who this is from…" She looked to Pingu, who gave an innocent shrug and urged her to open the envelope. _I have no idea what it says, I can't read human, all I know is that love-musician better have my fish ready…_

Dusty broke the heart seal on the back of the envelope, opening it and taking out the two objects within. One was a beautiful red flower that had been pressed with care to fit into the envelope but sprung back to life as it was taken out, sparkling softly in the dim lights from the back cabins. The other item was a short, handwritten note.

_Dusty-chan,_

_For a long time now I've wanted to show you how much you really mean to me, and I think I've finally figured out a way to. I know I act oddly around you often, however I've arranged for one night together where I can show you how I really feel without getting flustered or goofy. Please come out to the deck when you're ready. _

_Love, _

_DJ_

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Meanwhile, below decks, Niri sat on a chair in the hallway, watching the doors carefully.

"That's it, I'm going out there…" Axe muttered from inside the boys' room. "I'm the captain damnit, she can't keep me cooped up like this."

"But Niri said we aren't supposed to leave until she said it was okay…" Herman's eye stalks drooped a bit. "Don't you want DJ's surprise thing to go well?"

"I couldn't care less, when are you going to learn big red? No means yes." The captain gave a cocky grin.

"By any chance has that theory gotten you into trouble with girls in the past captain?" Devon sighed as he polished his swords, looking very aloof about the whole situation.

"Whatever…" Axe opened the door and stuck his foot out, only to find a bullet whiz by it, making a hole just centimeters away from him. "What the hell Niri, you're shooting at me!?"

"I'm getting paid for this, so next time I won't miss! And these things are laced with seastone, so don't get any funny ideas!" She rocked back and forth in her chair as Pingu nodded, returning from delivering the note, giving a few tough yet cute punching motions in Axe's direction. "You're not getting out of there until the surprise is done…"

"But I have to take a piss!" The captain shouted.

"I left a bottle in there!"

"THAT'S what was in that bottle!? I thought it was saki!" Azu's voice cried out as sputtering and spitting sounds were heard.

Niri sighed and sweatdropped at the boys, at least Kirsty and Chizuru were being more adult about this. She looked up to the decks. "I wonder how things are going up there…"

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As Dusty walked out onto the deck of _The Tomahawk_, she realized that it looked very different than what she was normally used to. The natural beauty of the night was one thing, it was beautiful out, just a slight, warm breeze blowing by as she looked up to the sky. Practically every star imaginable was out, speckling the black night with light, the moon was bright and full, making an interesting reflection on the waters around the ship. And as for the ship itself, it too was looking quite different than normal. Small candle bordered the ship, creating a nice glow with their tiny flames. A small rhythmic sound came from behind the mast, echoing off the near-empty decks and out across the ocean.

As the fox girl walked around the mast, she poked her head on the other side to see DJ, sitting down next to what had been the contents of the large crate from before. He was sitting on a small stool, playing a large short "baby" grand piano. His fingers moved across the keys tenderly, playing a soft introduction to a song while speaking.

"Dusty-chan… before I met you, I was running, not just with my fruit power, but I was running from myself, my past. I was going from place to place, helping people yes, but hurting inside because it was all so fleeting, when you're running, nothing stays, everything passes before your sight very quickly before fading away. Until I met you, when that happened I stopped running, on that fateful night back on Whiskey Peak, I looked at you and I somehow knew, Dusty-chan… I want to thank you… for giving me a reason, a reason to stop running, a reason for standing still." He smiled at her warmly while letting his fingers pick up on the keys a bit, picking his voice up to a singing tone.

"Days and nights, without a reason. That was called my life. I'd give all I know, to keep one hello from saying goodbye… Then our eyes met, when our eyes met, I began to live again" He picked up his pace a bit, picking up his voice and playing across the keys of the piano a bit faster now.

"It's all because of the time, that you gave to me. Time is standing still until, together we'll be… Somewhere, someway, somehow, everything is new. And it's all because of you…" He took a moment smiling at speechless young woman while still playing a small interlude on the keys, he apparently had taken much time in writing this song and made a very complex musical sound within it.

"It takes a special kind of artist, look at what you've drawn…" He took one hand off the piano keys, playing with the other and beckoning her closer gently. "Eyes that shine…" he made a gentle gesture to her face, looking deeply into her eyes. "Reflecting you, and a heart, with heartache all gone…" He hovered his hand over the center of her chest, where her heart was. "Let me hold you, cause when I hold you, dream becomes reality…" He picked up his voice again, holding a more passionate tone at this part of the song, closing his eyes and looking up for a moment before looking back at her.

"All because of the time that you gave to me, time is standing still until, together we'll be. Somewhere, someway, somehow, everything is new… and it's all because of you…" He smirked softly, continuing to the next part quickly, holding the same passionate tone.

"You ask, can this be real? I know what I feel… Heaven knows what I love, God sent you from above, you're all I'm thinking of!" His passion peaked as he came to the ending point of the song.

"And it's all because of the time, I know, time is standing still until, together we'll be. And there's a world out there, till now I never knew, and it's all because… it's all because of you, all because of you… all because of you… all because of… you…." He trailed off gently as the music came to a gentle stop.

As he took his hands off of the keys, he stood up slowly and walked over to Dusty, wrapping her in a tight embrace. "I don't care what happens from now on, I know we're going to have some tough times coming up, especially with everyone who's after us. I just want you to know that I'm here for you and I love you, and whatever comes, I want us to go through it together…" He whispered into her ear gently as the ship continued sailing through the dark seas, traveling on through the moonlit night, cutting through the black veil of the future and heading onto a new adventure, but for the two pirates on the deck of the _Tomahawk_ that night, time was seeming to stand still.

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**DJP: Well now for the explination, the song is "All Because of you" by Vic Mignogna, who we decided is going to be DJM's VA. This is a Christmas present to a very good friend of mine, FireThief**

**DJM: and her OC, Dusty-chan!**

**DJP: Yes, well, sorry for the mushiness, I might have gotten a little carried away, this is the first time I wrote a romantic fic in a while, hope you like it Fire-chan! Now it's not exactly complete, there was a reason why I didn't put many reactions from Dusty in there, and it was because I wanted to see how the real Dusty would react**

**DJM: A gentleman never assumes anything –nod nod-**

**Both: Really hope you like it girls!**


End file.
